Mausoleums of Multan
Encyclopedia
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
s and saint
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Standing at the north-eastern fringe of the ancient fort of Multan, is the eternal abode of Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Pakistan
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
of Syed Musa Pak
Shaheed is inside the Pak Gate. Shaikh Abul Hassab Musa Pak Shaheed was a descendant of Abdul Qadir Jillani and was born in Uch
. The Shrine of Musa Pak Shaheed is also frequented by a large number of Pashtuns
from all parts of Pakistan.
Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Jamal was born in Multan about 1747 AD (1160 AH). His father's name was Hafiz Muhammad Yusuf, that of his grand father Hafiz Abdul Rashid. He belonged to Awan tribe. He memorized the Holy Qur'an when he was still very young. He also studied religious and philosophical sciences. In the student days he used to excel and no one could oppose him in debates. As he advanced in years he felt attracted towards mystical meditation. He found a perfect guide and became disciple of Qibla-e-Aalam Hazrat Nur Muhammad Maharvi, a prominent sufi saint of Chishti order.
Hafiz Muhammad Jamal also learnt and mastered martial arts. Not merely an expert archer himself, he also used to instruct and train the soldiers. He was a unique sufi saint who was an eminent scholar, poet and a warrior as well. He used to fight and lead soldiers of Nawab Muzaffar Khan, ruler of Multan, against forces of Ranjeet Singh who attacked the city many times yet could not capture the fort and city during the lifetime of Hafiz Jamal.
The most reliable source of life history of Hafiz Muhammad Jamal is the book 'Jamalia" written by Maulvi Abdul Aziz Parharvi. As described in the book, Hafiz Muhammad Jamal was radiantly handsome, his teeth were unstrung pearls, his nose marvelously comely, his eyebrows thin, his chin pointed and his beard was extremely graceful. He used to walk at such a pace that young men were unable to keep up with him.
He had a ring, upon which were engraved the words "Allahu jamilun wa yohibbul jamal' (God is beautiful and loves beauty). His discourse used to be most sweet and agreeable. In his life there was no contradiction between preaching and practice. History testifies that very many Hindus also benefited from his teachings and he never acted in a discriminatory way towards them. It is undoubtedly true that after the great Bahauddin Zakariyya Multani it was the Suhrawardi order which flourished in the region. Hafiz Jamal was the first saint to give currency to the Chishti order of sufism in Multan. He also established a very important centre of learning.
Hafiz Jamal died at the age of 66 on 5 Jamadi ul Sani 1226 (7 May 1811). A chronogram for the date of his death was derived by his beloved pupil Munshi Ghulam Hassan from these words of Holy Qur'an: "innl muttaqin fi jannat". Two other chronograms in Persian verses are also inscribed over the eastern gate of the tomb. He married twice and one of his wife was from Laang family. He had a considerable number of spiritual successors such as Khwaja Khuda Bakhsh of Khairpur Tamiwali.
Hafiz Jamal was an excellent poet in Arabic, Persian and Siraiki. His "Seeharfi" is a poem in Siraiki which comprises 29 stanzas of four rhyming lines each, the fourth containing the poet's name 'Jamal'. In this Hafiz Jamal uses the spinning wheel and its appurtenances as symbols of deeds and character. Copy of this 'Seeharfi' is available in the Punjab University Library. It was also once published in Agra, India. Very many accounts of Hafiz Jamal and his sayings were composed, many of which exist in the earlier books. The best known are i) 'Fazail Raziyya', ii) 'Jamalia' , iii) 'Gulzar-e-Jamlia' written in 1325/1907, and iv) 'Anwar-e-Jamlia'. Now many more books have been written.
Shahadna Shahaid is located near Delhi Gate and is the shrine of a faithful disciple of 'Bahaul Haq'.
The Mausoleum of Bibi Pak Daman is located near Basti Daira.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Sher Shah Syed on Multan-Mazzaffargarh Road.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdoom Abdul Rashid Haqqani at Makhdoom Rashid Road.
Totla Mai near Haram Gate.
Shah Ali Akbar, a descendant of Shah Shams Sabzwari. He was the grandson of Hazrat Shah Shams. His mausoleums is situated in Shia Miani Multan.
Baba Safra near Eidgah.
The long brick tombs generally known as Nuagaza tombs, or the "nineyarder tombs". This term is generally applied, in the sub-continent, to the warriors and martyrs of Islam who, at the time of the early invasions of the Muslims fell in action against the Hindus.
Outside the Delhi Gate, nearly twelve yards (351/2 feet to be exact) in length, there is a stone of chocolate color with marks of light yellow on it, 27 inches in diameter and 78 inches (1,981.2 mm) thick, with a hole through the middle 9 inches (228.6 mm) in diameter. It is called Manka. People say the saint wore it round his neck, while some maintain that it was his thumb ring. The tomb is asserted to be 1300 years old. It is possible that it may belong to the times of the early Muslim invasion under Mohammad -bin-Qasim.
Chisht Nagar
is a Shrine of a great saint Maulana Ghulam Rabbani Ramdasi Chishti Sabri(1918–1988) near Jahanian Mandi, Multan.
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
s and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
, one of the greatest saints of the Suhrawardiya Silsila and one of the most distinguished disciples of Sheikh Al-Shuyukh Shahab Al-Din Suhrawardy. He was the founder of Suhrawardiya Silsila in the Sub-Continent. He was born in 1170.
Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya
Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....
known as Bahawal Haq was born at Kot Kehror, a town of Layyah District
Layyah District
Layyah District is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The capital is Layyah.-History:...
near Multan, around 1170. For 15 years he went from place to place to preach Islam and after his wanderings Bahawal Haq settled in Multan in 1222. He died in 1267. The Mausoleum is a square of 51 in 9 in (15.77 m), measured internally. Above this is an octagon, about half the height of the square, which is surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The Mausoleum was almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon afterwards restored by the Muslims.
Mausoleum of Shah Rukn-i-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....
grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria, which was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-i-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 in 9 in (15.77 m) in diameter internally, with walls 41 in 4 in (12.6 m) high and 13 in 3 in (4.04 m) thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 in 8 in (7.82 m), on the exterior side, and 26 in 10 in (8.18 m) high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower story for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet (17.7 m) external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 foot (0.9144 m), is 100 feet (30.5 m). As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world, after 'Gol Gumbad' of Bijapur (India), which is the largest. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks. The tomb was said to have been built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak for himself, but was given up by his son Muhammad Tughlak in favour of Rukn-i-Alam, when he died in 1330.
Mausoleum of Shah Shams Sabzwari
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez, is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort site, on the high bank of the old bed of the River Ravi near Aam-Khas Garden. He was a descendant of Imam Jaffer sadiq (as) and was born in 1165. He died in 1276 and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1330. The tomb is square, 30 feet (9.1 m) in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.Mausoleum of Shah Gardez
Within the city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
there is a shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular domeless building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
in 1088 and revitalized the then-dead city. Shah Yousaf Gardez converted many people to Islam and performed numerous miracles which can be found in history books. His descendants are known as Gardezi
Gardezi
- Origin :The name denotes people from Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province in Afghanistan.The name denotes people from Gardez, one of the 34 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. As such, the surname is widespread among the people in Afghanistan. One of the most famous Gardezis is Abu Saʿīd...
s and are one of the few old noble families in the country.
The famous historian Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold J. Toynbee
Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, 1934–1961, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global...
in his book "Between Oxus and Jumna" writes,
"………the tomb under whose shadow I am now writing ….. is the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardezi. I am being entertained in the Gardezi family's 'Dewan-Khanah', their family guest house, and the tomb, with the tombs of the saints descendants clustering round it, is only a stone's-throw away. Being named Joseph, I (like Stalin) am this saint's namesake, but I cannot claim also to be a 'Shah'; for, in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 'Shah' signifies a Sayid: that is to say, a descendant of the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
(Salalla ho Alihey Wa Aaley hi Wassallam).
The legend declares that, nine hundred years ago, Shah Yousaf Gardezi came riding into Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
on a lion, with a live snake for a whip and a pair of pigeons fluttering over his head. He had ridden his lion all the way from Gardez in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and he had bought with him the teaching of the Twelve-Imam branch of Shi'ah sect of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
(the form of Shi'ism that today is the national religion of Persia). In the course of Nine Hundred years both the saint's descendants and the pigeon's descendants have multiplied exceedingly. This whole quarter of the city (Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
) is now occupied by the houses of the Gardezis and the Gardezis' cousins' cousins. As for the Pigeons, they live on the Gardezis' roofs and cluster, in force, on the Gardezis' Saintly ancestor's tomb. The tomb is cased in blue tiles, dating from the reign of Mughal Emperor Humayun, and at intervals there are apertures in the tile works, opening into cavities specially provided to give the pigeons a lodging as close as possible to the spot where the saints' body lies. It is a pretty sight to see them poking in and out, for all the world as if the tomb has been built solely for their benefits.
The pigeons flutter here below. The kites soar there, up aloft, at what looks almost like jet-plane altitude when one lifts up ones eye towards the sky. Since this is the Indian Subcontinent, the kites do not make pigeons their prey. They take their cue from the local human beings and leave the pigeons alone.
Nine hundred years of unbroken family history. What a sheet-anchor for the fortunate Gardezis in this swiftly changing world."
Mausoleum of Musa Pak Shaheed
The MausoleumMausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of Syed Musa Pak
Syed Musa Pak
Shaikh Syed Abul Hassab Musa Pak Shaheed was Sufi and his mausoleum is located at Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. Shaikh Syed Abul Hassab was son of Syed Hamid Bakhsh Gilani. He was martyred in 1592 AD during a civil war of Langah tribe, when he received a bullet in his chest by chance. His shrine is...
Shaheed is inside the Pak Gate. Shaikh Abul Hassab Musa Pak Shaheed was a descendant of Abdul Qadir Jillani and was born in Uch
Uch
Uch or Uch Sharif ) is located in 75 km from Bahawalpur in Bahawalpur District, South Punjab, Pakistan Uch is an important historical city, being founded by Alexander the Great. Formerly located at the confluence of the Indus and Chenab rivers, it is now removed to Mithankot, some 100 km...
. The Shrine of Musa Pak Shaheed is also frequented by a large number of Pashtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
from all parts of Pakistan.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Jamal Multani
The Mausoleum is situated near Aam Khas garden outside Daulat Gate, Multan. The tomb has been built within a wall resembling a fortification. The tomb lies on a platform of marble and is surrounded by an area paved with marble and black slate. On the North and West side there is an arched corridor which looks like a tunnel. On the south side there is an extensive congregational hall, whose timber roof is embellished with decorative work.Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Jamal was born in Multan about 1747 AD (1160 AH). His father's name was Hafiz Muhammad Yusuf, that of his grand father Hafiz Abdul Rashid. He belonged to Awan tribe. He memorized the Holy Qur'an when he was still very young. He also studied religious and philosophical sciences. In the student days he used to excel and no one could oppose him in debates. As he advanced in years he felt attracted towards mystical meditation. He found a perfect guide and became disciple of Qibla-e-Aalam Hazrat Nur Muhammad Maharvi, a prominent sufi saint of Chishti order.
Hafiz Muhammad Jamal also learnt and mastered martial arts. Not merely an expert archer himself, he also used to instruct and train the soldiers. He was a unique sufi saint who was an eminent scholar, poet and a warrior as well. He used to fight and lead soldiers of Nawab Muzaffar Khan, ruler of Multan, against forces of Ranjeet Singh who attacked the city many times yet could not capture the fort and city during the lifetime of Hafiz Jamal.
The most reliable source of life history of Hafiz Muhammad Jamal is the book 'Jamalia" written by Maulvi Abdul Aziz Parharvi. As described in the book, Hafiz Muhammad Jamal was radiantly handsome, his teeth were unstrung pearls, his nose marvelously comely, his eyebrows thin, his chin pointed and his beard was extremely graceful. He used to walk at such a pace that young men were unable to keep up with him.
He had a ring, upon which were engraved the words "Allahu jamilun wa yohibbul jamal' (God is beautiful and loves beauty). His discourse used to be most sweet and agreeable. In his life there was no contradiction between preaching and practice. History testifies that very many Hindus also benefited from his teachings and he never acted in a discriminatory way towards them. It is undoubtedly true that after the great Bahauddin Zakariyya Multani it was the Suhrawardi order which flourished in the region. Hafiz Jamal was the first saint to give currency to the Chishti order of sufism in Multan. He also established a very important centre of learning.
Hafiz Jamal died at the age of 66 on 5 Jamadi ul Sani 1226 (7 May 1811). A chronogram for the date of his death was derived by his beloved pupil Munshi Ghulam Hassan from these words of Holy Qur'an: "innl muttaqin fi jannat". Two other chronograms in Persian verses are also inscribed over the eastern gate of the tomb. He married twice and one of his wife was from Laang family. He had a considerable number of spiritual successors such as Khwaja Khuda Bakhsh of Khairpur Tamiwali.
Hafiz Jamal was an excellent poet in Arabic, Persian and Siraiki. His "Seeharfi" is a poem in Siraiki which comprises 29 stanzas of four rhyming lines each, the fourth containing the poet's name 'Jamal'. In this Hafiz Jamal uses the spinning wheel and its appurtenances as symbols of deeds and character. Copy of this 'Seeharfi' is available in the Punjab University Library. It was also once published in Agra, India. Very many accounts of Hafiz Jamal and his sayings were composed, many of which exist in the earlier books. The best known are i) 'Fazail Raziyya', ii) 'Jamalia' , iii) 'Gulzar-e-Jamlia' written in 1325/1907, and iv) 'Anwar-e-Jamlia'. Now many more books have been written.
Other Mausoleums and Tombs
In addition to the tombs mentioned above, Multan has several other historical and archaeological remains of the Muslim period. Prominent among these are:Shahadna Shahaid is located near Delhi Gate and is the shrine of a faithful disciple of 'Bahaul Haq'.
The Mausoleum of Bibi Pak Daman is located near Basti Daira.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Sher Shah Syed on Multan-Mazzaffargarh Road.
Mausoleum of Hazrat Makhdoom Abdul Rashid Haqqani at Makhdoom Rashid Road.
Totla Mai near Haram Gate.
Shah Ali Akbar, a descendant of Shah Shams Sabzwari. He was the grandson of Hazrat Shah Shams. His mausoleums is situated in Shia Miani Multan.
Baba Safra near Eidgah.
The long brick tombs generally known as Nuagaza tombs, or the "nineyarder tombs". This term is generally applied, in the sub-continent, to the warriors and martyrs of Islam who, at the time of the early invasions of the Muslims fell in action against the Hindus.
Outside the Delhi Gate, nearly twelve yards (351/2 feet to be exact) in length, there is a stone of chocolate color with marks of light yellow on it, 27 inches in diameter and 78 inches (1,981.2 mm) thick, with a hole through the middle 9 inches (228.6 mm) in diameter. It is called Manka. People say the saint wore it round his neck, while some maintain that it was his thumb ring. The tomb is asserted to be 1300 years old. It is possible that it may belong to the times of the early Muslim invasion under Mohammad -bin-Qasim.
Chisht Nagar
Chisht Nagar
Chisht Nagar is a Dargah of the great saint Maulana Ghulam Rabbani Ramdasi Chishti Sabri. It is located near Jahanian Mandi, Multan, Pakistan and close to Makhdoom Rashid, home-village of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, a famous political reader.- Ghulam Rabbani :Maulana Ghulam Rabbani was son of Maulana...
is a Shrine of a great saint Maulana Ghulam Rabbani Ramdasi Chishti Sabri(1918–1988) near Jahanian Mandi, Multan.
See also
- List of mausolea
- List of mausolea and shrines in Pakistan
- List of cemeteries
- List of cemeteries in Pakistan
External links
- A City of Saints Online Multan Entertainment Portal
- Images from Multan
- Official Travel & Culture Service, Pakistan
- from Official Tourism Punjab, Pakistan